Switch



0. J. LEINS Feb. 14, 1933.

SWITCE Filed Feb. 13, 1932 m m m N 1 law/ Jim/75 ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 14,1933

UNITED sums PATENT OFFICE Oscar. I. LEINS, or mwaum, wrsconsm, 'assroivon. 'ro mwauxnn GAS SPECIALTY comm, or mwaux m, Wiscons n, 11 conrona'rron or wrsconsm SWITCH Application filed February 18, 1982. Serial ll'o. 592,752.

15 on the tube. The tube 12 may be her- Thisinvention relates to switches and more particularly to a mercury solenoid switch adapted to operate on light currents.

It is an object of the present invention to produce a switch adapted for use with explosive substances such as gas or oil, and with this object in view, the invention contemplates a switch which may be placed in close proximity to the explosive substance without -dang er usually incurred in switches due to arcing during making or breaking of the circuit.

Another object of the present invention is to produce a switch in which the contacts are hermetically sealed within a tube.

It is a further object of the 'nvention to produce a switch which is operable to complete a primary circuit upon the completion of a secondary circuit, the operation of the primary circuit being dependent entirely upon the maintenance of current in the secondary circuit.

These and other objects, the nature of which .will become apparent as the description proceeds, are accomplished by means of v the following preferred form hereinafter described, and shown in the drawing where- Figure 1 is a plan view looking at the top of the switch;

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and showing the switch with the contact between the terminals broken; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the switch with the circuit completed between the terminals.

Referring more particularly to the drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the actuating member of the switch comprises the solenoid 5'wound about a core 6 and having terminals 7 and 8 to which the ends of the solenoid wire are attached.

The terminals 7 and 8 comprise any sort of a binding post which is adapted to receive current from a line 9. A hermetically sealed tube 12 of glass or other suitable insulating material is received in the core 6 of the solenoid and is held therein by means of an insulating plate 14 mounted just below a bead of the solenoid and prevents the tube 12 from being withdrawn therefrom.

Reciprocably mounted on the rod 17 is a plunger 21 of iron, steel or other magnetically influenced material. A recoil cushion 23 is loosely mounted on the rod on top of the 5 plunger to reciprocate with and on top of said plunger, in the tube 12.

A pair of binding posts 24 and 25 are mounted in the plate 14 and carry washers 26 and 27 between the plate 14 and the clamping member of the binding post. A pair of switch terminals 30 and 31 are clamped on the washer 26 and 27 by means of nuts 32 and 33. 'The terminals 30 and 31 project inwardly through the tube 12 and are hermetically sealed therein. The terminals 30 and 31 terminate in downturned portions 34 and 35, the lower ends of which lie normally above the level of the mercury 22 when the current to the solenoid is shut off.

The binding posts 24 and 25 may be connected in any circuit which it is desired to make in the usual manner.

In operation, the mercury 22 in the tube 12 normally stands at a level beneath the terminals'34 and 35. Upon completion of the circuit through the wires 9, the solenoid 5 becomes energized and draws the iron core or plunger 21 down into the core 6 of the solenoid displacing the mercury22 and raising the level of that mercury above that of the contacts 34 and 35.

The raising of the, mercury in the tube brings it into contact with the terminals 34 and 35 completing the circuit therebetween to operate any desired mechanism. It will be noted that as soon as the current in the line 9 fails that the solenoid is immediately deenergized, breaking the circuit through the terminals 34, t will also be noted that the tube is hermetically sealed, which prereemsa and pro'ecting into said tube and a plunger mounte for movement on said rod and adapted to sink within-said mercury upon, application of current in said solenoid to reuse the level of the mercury above said con-' tflCtS. i

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afix my signature. OSCAR J. LEINS.

light currents and it will be realized that the invention isof broader application than I the preferred form herein shown and described. Applicant does not, therefore, wish to. be limited to the precise form of the invention shown herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch of the character described,

a hollow core, a solenoid wound about said core, mounting means atone end of said solenoid, a receptacle supported from said mounting means within said core, a rod passing through the bottom of said receptacle, means carried by said rod to prevent the withdrawal of said receptacle from said core, terminal members mounted on said mounting means projecting into said receptacle, mercury in the bottom of said receptacle normally at a level below said contact members and a plunger within said receptacle floatingly mounted on said mercury and adapted to be drawn into said solenoid to raise the level of said mercury into engagement with said contact-members upon application of current to said solenoid. 2. In a switch of the'character described,

' a hollow core,'a solenoid wound about said core, mounting means at one end of said solenoid, a hermetically sealed tube supported from said mounting means within said core, a rod passing through the bottom of said tube, means carried by said rod to prevent the withdrawal of said tube from said solenoid, terminal members mounted on said mountmg means pro]ect1ng into said tube,

mercury in the bottomof said tube normally at a level below said contact members and a plunger within said tube fioatingly mounted upon said mercury and adapted to sink into said mercury to raise the mercury into engagement with said contact members upon the application of current to said solenoid.

3. In a switch of the character described, a hollow core, a solenoid woundv about said core, a hermetically sealed tube said core, a peripheral bead on said tube, a mounting member contacting said bead'to support said' tube within said selenoid, a guide-rod axially located in said tube and projecting through.

the lower end or" said rodto hold'said tube agamst withdrawal rrcm said solenoid, a quantity of mercury E1 the bottom of said tube, a pair of contact members having downturned end portions mounted on said support Hil- 

